The origins of Great Britain
Sintesi in lingua inglese sul contesto storico della Gran Bretagna dal 700 a.C. al 1066 d.C.: Iberi e Celti, i Romani, gli Anglo-Sassoni, la fine dell'Inghilterra Anglo-Sassone. (2 pagine formato doc)
Iberians
Their name derived from the river Iberus (modern Ebro), they were the prehistoric inhabitants of the Great Britain.
They settled along the western and southern parts of Britain, and then spread further north as well as to Ireland. They left behind them the barrows, large mound graves and henges, which consisted of great circles of ditches and earthen banks. The most spectacular and famous henge is Stonehenge, which is a group of huge blue stones, placed in concentric circles. We can still see Stonehenge in South-West England, but the function of this building is still a mystery.
Celts
The Celts began to arrive from north-west Germany from 700 B.C. The Celts were remarkable to Mediterranean eyes for their height, fair skin, muscularity, blue eyes and blond hair.
The Celts were technically advanced and they lived on fishing, hunting and agriculture. They were famous for their burial sites and for their hill-forts, built on the top of hills and used as refuges and tribal centers. The most influential figure in Celtics society was the druid.
The Druids were priests, administered justice and were responsible for the education of the young. The name "druid" which means "knowing the oak tree" certainly came from the fact that druids held their ceremonies inn the heart of the forest and not in temples. Among the Celts there seemed to be equality between the sexes, sometimes the women ruled tribes, like Boadicea (I Century A.D.) who had become queen after her husband's death.
Their name derived from the river Iberus (modern Ebro), they were the prehistoric inhabitants of the Great Britain.
They settled along the western and southern parts of Britain, and then spread further north as well as to Ireland. They left behind them the barrows, large mound graves and henges, which consisted of great circles of ditches and earthen banks. The most spectacular and famous henge is Stonehenge, which is a group of huge blue stones, placed in concentric circles. We can still see Stonehenge in South-West England, but the function of this building is still a mystery.
Celts
The Celts began to arrive from north-west Germany from 700 B.C. The Celts were remarkable to Mediterranean eyes for their height, fair skin, muscularity, blue eyes and blond hair.
The Celts were technically advanced and they lived on fishing, hunting and agriculture. They were famous for their burial sites and for their hill-forts, built on the top of hills and used as refuges and tribal centers. The most influential figure in Celtics society was the druid.
The Druids were priests, administered justice and were responsible for the education of the young. The name "druid" which means "knowing the oak tree" certainly came from the fact that druids held their ceremonies inn the heart of the forest and not in temples. Among the Celts there seemed to be equality between the sexes, sometimes the women ruled tribes, like Boadicea (I Century A.D.) who had become queen after her husband's death.